Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim delivers the annual National Research Foundation 2022 Science Lecture
Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim (left in the photo), Associate Scientific Director delivered the Science Lecture at the prestigious annual 2022 National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards ceremony held on Thursday 1st September in Cape Town. The NRF Awards which recognises and celebrates South Africa’s leading researchers for excellence demonstrated in their research was held under the 2022 United Nations theme: International Year of Basic Science for Sustainable development.
Abdool Karim’s lecture titled: ‘Basic Science for Sustainable Development: HIV, TB and Covid-19’ highlighted the findings from South African led basic science research in HIV, TB and Covid-19 that have made both a national and global impact in terms of saving lives.
Reducing high rates of HIV in young women in Africa is key to controlling the global HIV epidemic and new HIV prevention tools for women including long-acting new strategies remain a high priority, said Abdool Karim. The development of prevention technologies was the first step in addressing social challenges underpinned by trust & partnerships with communities to ensure that prevention products reach those in need.
Multidisciplinary teams and synergy between teams nationally and internationally were an imperative to research and knowledge exchange and sharing, she said. “In an era of increasing incomplete epidemics and pandemics resilience and the rapid ability to pivot to address new challenges is critical,” she said. “The NRF Awards evening was evidence that excellent and impactful science was alive and well in South Africa,” she said.